In a verdict that could have major implications for the future of smartphones and tablet computers, a federal jury decided Friday that Samsung ripped off the innovative technology used by Apple to create its revolutionary iPhone and iPad.

Apple was awarded damages of nearly $1.05 billion by the nine-person jury, which took less than three days to sort through the complex patent-infringement claims the companies had brought against each other, seeking a total of nearly $3 billion. It was the first lawsuit to go before a U.S. jury in what has become a multinational battle for dominance of the global smartphone market.

The jury in San Jose found that Samsung, the South Korea electronics giant, infringed on six of seven Apple patents for mobile devices. Meanwhile, it rejected infringement claims brought by Samsung against Apple and denied its request for damages, determining that all of Apple's patents at stake in the trial were valid.

"Today's verdict should not be viewed as a win for Apple, but as a loss for the American consumer," Samsung said in a statement Friday night. "It will lead to fewer choices, less innovation and potentially higher prices. It is unfortunate that patent law can be manipulated to give one company a monopoly over rectangles with rounded corners, or technology that is being improved every day by Samsung and other companies."

Intercontinental war

Apple, headquartered in Cupertino, and Samsung are waging a patent war on four continents over a smartphone market valued at $219.1 billion, according to Bloomberg Industries. The two companies have filed similar lawsuits in eight other countries: South Korea, Germany, Japan, Italy, the Netherlands, Britain, France and Australia. Around the globe, about 50 lawsuits have been brought by a variety of players in the smartphone and tablet market.

Samsung has emerged as one of Apple's biggest rivals and has overtaken Apple as the leading smartphone maker. Samsung's Galaxy line of phones run on Android, a mobile operating system that Apple rival Google has given out for free to Samsung and other phone manufacturers.

It is too soon to tell just what the full consequences of the verdict might be. But if upheld, it could lead to a ban on some Samsung products in the United States, and potentially to Samsung and Android phone makers being forced to withdraw and redesign their phones to better distinguish them from Apple products.

"It's going to make it very difficult for not only Samsung, but for other companies to mimic the Apple products," said Robert Barr, executive director of the Berkeley Center for Law and Technology at UC Berkeley..

Lots of questions

The complex verdict Friday took nearly an hour to be read, as the judge quizzed the jury on each complaint covering multiple devices. In reaching its verdict, the jury had been asked to answer more than 600 questions.

After attorneys for both sides reviewed the verdict, Judge Lucy Koh sent jurors back to address two inconsistencies Samsung lawyers found in the damages awarded. The revised verdict reduced the total award by just more than$2 million.

The patent disputes began when Samsung released its Galaxy smartphones in 2010. Steve Jobs, the co-founder of Apple who died Oct. 5, initiated contact with Samsung over his concerns that the Galaxy phones copied the iPhone, according to trial testimony.

In the suit it brought more than a year ago, Apple had sought $2.5 billion to $2.75 billion for its patent infringement claims, which covered such Apple creations as the "bounce-back" feature when a user scrolls to an end image, and the ability to zoom text with a finger tap on its iPhone and iPad.

Samsung countersued, demanding as much as $421.8 million in royalties based on claims that Apple infringed five of its patents.

Apple had sought to make permanent a preliminary ban it won on U.S. sales of a Samsung tablet computer and extend the ban to Samsung smartphones. A judge is expected to make that ruling at a later time.

Two other lawsuits

Apple also prevailed in another patent battle Friday in Washington, D.C.

The U.S. International Trade Commission found that it did not infringe on two patents owned by Google's Motorola Mobility unit for wireless technologies used throughout the electronics industry. The decision reduces the possibility of an import ban on the iPhone that Motorola sought.

In a South Korea courtroom Friday, Apple and Samsung earned a split decision.

There, a judge ruled that both companies must stop selling some smartphones and tablet computers in the country and pay damages for infringing on each other's patents.

The Seoul Central District Court said Apple violated two Samsung patents related to mobile-data transfer technologies. Samsung, meanwhile, was ruled to have infringed one Apple patent related to the "bounce-back" touch-screen feature.

What's at stake

The ultimate impact of Friday's verdict in the Apple-Samsung patent trial is not yet clear, and it is almost certain to be appealed.

-- The value of the smartphone industry is estimated at more than $219 billion. Apple and Samsung are the world's two largest smartphone makers. The two have brought more than 50 lawsuits against each other in 10 countries.

-- Besides monetary damages, Apple hopes to win a court order permanently barring Samsung from selling any products in the United States that are found to violate its patents. If Samsung had to remove and redesign its products, Apple could gain market share in the interim.

-- The verdict could aid Apple in lawsuits it has filed against other makers of smartphones and tablets based on Google's Android operating system.